It Takes a Thief
by KleeZeeNex
Summary: Ninja turtles have rules. Don't talk to strangers. More importantly, don't talk to strange humans. And please oh please, don't talk to strange human criminals running from the cops. Thank goodness Raphael never listens, or this fanfiction wouldn't exist.
1. You can see me, right?

**A/N: Well, it's been a while since I've written a Ninja Turtle fanfic. This is going to be six chapters, which is exciting to me since I've been in a oneshot rut lately. I really had no idea what genre and such this would be, so I just picked something that sounded good. Any suggestoins, let me know.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, I don't want to own the TMNT, and if I did own the TMNT, I wouldn't be writing fanfictions about the TMNT because I would have complete control over the TMNT in the first place. Any questions?**

* * *

It was the night I learned not to be so judgy.

When I was real young I liked to explore way farther away from home than I ever went with my brothers. I liked to separate myself from the group, I guess, even then. I had a stretch of sewer all to myself, where no turtle had gone before, until Leo found it and told Splinter that I was sneaking off. No one even thought to mention that Leo would have had to follow me all the way out there in order to obtain this bit of information.

Still, I kept sneaking off, only in the other direction. This time I actually found a whole maze of tunnels that no one knew about. I wasn't even sure Splinter had gone this deep into the sewer. There really wasn't any reason to, unless you were a stubborn little brat like me who would do anything out of spite.

I told that story to tell this one, and this is the day I met the guy who would teach me a pretty important lesson. Ten years after I found that secluded maze of tunnels, I went there after a fight with Mikey that I felt really bad about. He had been annoying me, and I told him to leave me alone, which of course had no effect, which led me to tell him to leave me alone until he grows up, after which he looked at me all sad-like so I stormed out. What else was I supposed to do? Apologize? No, thanks.

Anyway, I'm in this dark tunnel, just sitting there against the wall thinking about how long it will take before Mikey will get over what I said and beg me to play video games with him as soon as I walk in the door. It won't take long, I decide. Mikey isn't the type to hold a grudge.

A manhole a couple yards away opens, and I squint. Now, I know there's a manhole there. Okay? It's one of my many escape routs, and my own personal shortcut for when it's my turn to get the pizza. But forgive me for not really expecting some kid to hop down the ladder, panting for air like he just ran a marathon.

From the light streaming in, he sees me instantly. My eyes are still adjusting, but I know what's coming. "Ah, real monsters!" Or something like that.

He just stares at me and says, "Oh, I... didn't know anyone else would be here."

I don't really know what to do. Do I laugh? Run? Punch his face in? Those are my three default reactions, and they haven't failed me yet.

So I have no idea why I say, "You can see me, right?" Maybe because this is a whole new experience for me.

"Oh, I know you guys. You threw me into a wall last week." He doesn't even crack a smile when he says it, so I'm pretty sure he's serious.

I take a minute to look him over, wondering if I'll recognize him. He's tall, but young. Maybe sixteen, maybe not. His hair is sticking up in all directions, which completes his disheveled appearance. Through the darkness I can't pick out much more than that.

"You a Dragon?" I guess.

"No, just your generic delinquent..." He climbs back up the ladder again to peek out the manhole. "I believe I met you during a hardware store robbery."

Aha. I do remember that one. He was with a couple other guys, though, and I can't remember which one he was.

That's when I hear the sirens.

The kid drops back down, leaving the manhole cover cracked open.

Of course, my sense of duty kicks in and I think about knocking the kid out then and there and leaving him to the cops. Obviously that's why he's running. Something else kicks in, though, that makes that idea seem somehow dirty. Wrong. Like I'm breaking some code. I ignore that kick and stand up.

"I should turn you in," I say, preparing a whole string of catch phrases to use before I knock him out.

"Go for it."

That throws me for a loop. "You're not running from the cops?" I ask.

"Yeah," he replies. "But if I run anymore, I'm going to puke. And I don't feel like fighting you again. I still have a scar." And he pushes up his shirt sleeve to show me a long line running up his forearm. Now I remember. I got him with my sai.

Of course. He was wearing the same Batman tee shirt he wore now.

The sirens pass and eventually fade away.

I shrug, for some reason not feeling bad about letting the guy go. "Stay out of trouble, will you?" I say before I turn to leave. But the next time I turn to make sure he's not following, he's already climbing out.


	2. Nice trench coat

**A/N: Well this took forever. I'm not a fan of holding chapters hostage for reviews, honest, I just kept forgetting I had a story going. I'm starting to realize how freakishly short these chapters are. If that bugs you... well, it bugs me too. I didn't mean to organize it this way. I just suck. Hopefully you'll like it anyway. As always, thanks for reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.**

* * *

A month later, I see him again.

This time I was just wandering, which I usually do topside. Today I just didn't feel like messing around with sticking to the shadows and avoiding being seen, so I stayed in the sewers. And there's that kid, climbing down from that manhole. He almost lands on top of me.

This time he actually looks a little startled to see me. He's more alert and wearing a scowl.

"Watch it," I say, stepping out of his way.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

I should just leave him alone, I know. This is stupid, just letting a human chat with me. And a criminal, at that. Leo would just. . . . I dunno. Ground me or something.

"Find a new hiding spot, kid. I was here first," I say, feeling like a toddler hogging all the crayons.

He whirls on me, and for a minute I think he's going to hit me. Instead he snaps, "There isn't anywhere else." And turns back around.

I chew on that thought for a second. "What are you running from this time?"

"I'm not running." His voice is more subdued, and he runs a hand over his forehead.

"Then why are you here?"

"Hiding."

"From cops? Gang competition? What?"

He just looks at me. It's a real stare, too, like he's trying to bore his point into my brain. "It's not always about being a criminal," he finally says.

I nod slowly, deciding not to ask.

After a minute of silence he sighs and leans his back against the wall. He seems really upset. It's weird. Nothing good can come from me seeing another side to the people I hunt down and bring to justice. Ugh, what would Casey think? He'd disown me for sure.

I get up, turn, and leave him alone.

* * *

It's my turn to get pizza again, and I'm taking my shortcut.

Before I can get to the manhole I hear a whistle.

"Hey!" A whisper. "Turtle guy! You there?"

No, I don't follow the whispering down the dark tunnel. Shell, I'm not an idiot.

"It's me." This time the voice rings out loud and clear, and I recognize it.

"Kid?"

"The name is Rick. But yeah."

So I go to the manhole to find the guy leaning in the open manhole, still topside. "What do you want?" I ask.

He quirks an eyebrow at me. "Nice trench coat."

"I'm going out," I explain.

"Good. I was wondering if you could-" He stops, listens, and disappears.

I climb up and looked around. He's nowhere to be seen.

For a minute I stay there and listen. I'm curious now. This Rick guy always seems to have that one bit of power over me. He makes me curious. So I've already decided that I'm going to investigate.

I've forgotten about the pizza.

I'm just about to pull myself up to street level when I hear pounding feet to my left. I duck at the last minute and pull the manhole over me, but I crack it just enough to peek. It's a group of Purple Dragons, but just a small crew. I count four.

And I think to myself, this should be fun.


	3. Never again

**A/N: Guess what? I forgot to update again. I clearly haven't gotten the hang of chapter stories. Sorry again. But, a little fun fact: This chapter wasn't going to exist. Well, most of it. I was just going to have Rick disappear, and Raph wasn't going to follow him. But, I wanted a laugh. Let me know which version you think would be better, if you're opinionated like that. ;) As always, thanks for reading.**

**Disclaimer: TMNT is not mine. I'll get over it.**

* * *

I climb out, replace the manhole cover and follow them.

They're not trying to hide at all, which is fine because you don't see a lot of people around this part of town at this time of night. I keep silent and keep them in sight. If they're chasing Ricky, they'll either catch up or they won't. If they do, I've found Ricky. If they don't, I don't need to.

Well, listen to that. Need to. Like it's my job to save this kid and not beat him to a bloody pulp.

I've only been following the Dragons for about two minutes when we all hear a crash nearby. If I have to guess, I would say that it came from between me and the group of Dragons. Not good. They're going to turn around, and I need to get out of sight.

I turn around and dart around the first corner I come to. That's when I hear a commotion, and I figure that we've found Rick.

"Look, guys... Let's talk about this."

"Where are the guns?"

"If it makes you feel better, I would be happy to give them back when I'm done with them."

He really needs help with his negotiation skills. I don't hear any more talking before the fight starts.

I stand there for a minute. I could jump in and save the kid. Or. I could walk away. This is not my problem, and I don't need to scuffle with the Purple Dragons for no reason.

Oh, what am I saying? This is _me_ we're talking about here.

Turns out they've backed him into an alley with a dead end. I can see an overturned trash can. That must have been the crash. He was trying to climb up to the nearby fire escape.

I grab the one closest to me and toss him backwards. He goes quite a ways, and I make sure he's knocked out before I move on. As I knock out the second Dragon with my fist to the back of his head, I realize that Ricky is actually not a bad fighter. He doesn't look hurt at all. Still, he can't fight four guys off at once for very long. I actually stand back and watch for a second as he dodges a fist and sends the guy into the brick wall behind him. He's out.

I tap the last guy on the shoulder and punch his lights out when he turns around.

When I look up Ricky is still a little shocked. First he's wide-eyed, then a grin slowly settles on his face. I shake my head and point at him. "Never again," I tell him.

His grin widens. "Got it."

"Get out of here."

He dips his head low, and I'm pretty sure it's because he's close to laughing. But he does what I say. As he brushes past me he pats my shoulder and says, "Thanks, Turtle Guy."

I roll my eyes and watch him jog away.

* * *

It's nighttime, and I've had trouble sleeping. So I get up and go for a quick walk, and automatically go to the place where I've been meeting this kid. I tell myself it's just habit, but honestly I think I do it on purpose.

He's already there, sitting against the wall like I do, and I wonder how often he comes here when I don't.

"Hey, turtle guy," he greets me. He's got a lighter, flicking it on and off. I remember doing that when I was young, when I got bored. If I ever went outside back then I would have been that kid burning ants with a magnifying glass.

"It's Raph," I correct him. "But hi." I sit across the tunnel from him.

He's in a pleasant mood, I can tell, but he's still got that troubled look he's always got. Neither of us say anything about why he was stealing guns from the Purple Dragons last night. I don't know why he doesn't bring it up, but I know why I don't. I don't want to feel obligated to deal with it.

We sit there. I have no idea how long, and I don't know why neither of us leave or talk, but we stay there in silence until I hear soft snores coming from the other wall.

I chuckle a little, then stand. He'll have a sore back when he wakes up. I almost leave, then roll my eyes and go back. I snag the collar of his shirt and slowly drag him to the ground so that he's lying on his back. He stirs, then continues to snore.


	4. Famous last words

**A/N: You know how I said I don't hold stories hostage for reviews? Turns out I do, on accident. I forget about my story if I don't hear any feedback. Plus I'm a little lazy. Whoops.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the ninja turtles, or any other kind of turtles for that matter.**

I'm sitting in the tunnel a week later with a book Leo let me borrow. I scowled at him when he gave it to me and told him that it was a stupid book (one of those books written by some shrink with sixteen degrees in psycho this and that), so of course I can't read it at the lair. Just like I only watch Dr. Phil when no one else is home. I've got the manhole cover off of the manhole, too, so some light can get in. It's the middle of the night, almost morning, but there's a streetlight close enough to the manhole to brighten the tunnel.

I've been reading for about an hour when Rick climbs down. The sun is coming out, I see, as I watch him descend the ladder very slowly.

At the last step he pauses before dropping down. When he hits the ground he makes a grunting sound and doubles over, clutching a ladder rung for support.

I stay where I am and put the book down. He hasn't noticed me yet.

After a few deep breaths he straightens again and turns.

I wave.

He just stands there at first, then looks at his feet.

"Problems?" I ask.

He lets out a short laugh. "Yeah."

"You're hurt."

"Yeah."

"You gonna live?"

"Yeah."

I get up and approach him, because he's trying to get into a sitting position and looking pathetic. He lets me help him sit, and I squat next to him. "What happened?" I ask.

For some reason, he laughs again. "What do you think?" he says.

"I've learned that it's not always about being a criminal with you criminals."

His laugh quickly dissolves into a wince. "This time it is," he tells me, still grinning. "My buddy and I were on a job and... it didn't go as planned."

"A job. That's what you call it?"

"Sorry. The _bank heist _didn't go as planned."

"Bank heist?" I sit back on my heels. "That's a big jump from hardware stores and gas stations, don't you think?"

He starts to remove his leather jacket. "Well. I was against the whole thing, but Liam gets ideas into his head, and I have to make sure he doesn't get himself killed. This crew wanted Liam to crack the safe, since he's good at that, so I offered to bring the guns." He finishes his story with show-and-tell, pulling a gun out of his back pocket and dropping it on the ground.

"You robbed a bank," I summarize. "With guns."

Somehow Rick keeps a straight face when he says, "Well, Liam wanted to try throwing puppies at the guards, but I talked him out of it."

"Very funny." So that's what he wanted with the guns he stole from the Purple Dragons. I'm just about to ask about that when he finally gets his jacket off and tosses it over the gun.

But I'm not looking at that anymore; I'm more interested in the blood soaking through Rick's tee-shirt.

"Whoa." I almost forget who I'm dealing with here and want to scream for Donny.

"Relax, Turtle Guy." And Rick sure is relaxed. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Famous last words," I mutter, because that's what Mikey always says to me when I brush off my bumps and scrapes.

"It barely nicked me," he insists.

That puts all the pieces together, and my jaw drops. I can't help it. "You got _shot_?"

"Yeah, I was surprised, too. I read somewhere that security guards usually don't have guns, since-"

"Why are you _here_, and not at the hospital?" I cut him off.

Rick shakes his head. "Can't go to the hospital with a gunshot wound, turtle guy. They have to call the police, and it wouldn't take much to put the pieces together."

Right. I know that. Donny told me something about that. But still. "So you decided to go hang out in Germs-R-Us," I point out, motioning to the smelly sewer around us.

"It's habit, sue me. I needed a place to hide, and we all had to split up when the cops came."

"You're an idiot." I was trying to think of something useful to say, but that's what comes out.

"It wasn't the best laid-out plan, I'll admit." Rick tries to sit up more, but he can't quite manage it.

I push him back down. "Just... Sit still," I tell him. "I have to... I'll get..." And I don't know what to do. I can't let Leo know that I'm basically harboring a criminal. And I can't help him on my own. I don't think. "Let me look," I decide. Maybe it's really not that bad.

He lets me peel his shirt back to get a look at the wound, which actually doesn't look so bad. "It went through," Rick tells me as I'm looking. I nod, satisfied. It's just the blood that's the problem.

"Okay, look," I say. "I'm going to go get some stuff, and then I'm coming right back. Are you gonna be here when I get back?"

Rick smirks a little, but it's not as enthusiastic as I would have expected. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Turtle Guy," he says.

"Don't pass out, either."

He sighs. "Just hurry."

I turn on my heel and take off running.


	5. Your bedside manner sucks

**A/N: For those of you wondering when Mikey was going to come into play, here he is.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TMNT.**

* * *

Everyone is still asleep when I get there, so I sneak around looking for supplies. Once I think I have everything, I realize that I have no idea what to do with it all. That's it. I've gotta tell someone.

I've never realized how loud Mikey's snoring is until now. It makes me think Leo is gonna wake up in the next room from the noise, getting me caught. So I hurry to the bed and put a hand over Mikey's mouth.

Goofball or not, my little brother is a ninja even in his sleep. I don't even thing he's fully awake when he grabs my arm with one hand and tries to choke me with the other.

"Mikey," I say in a strangled whisper. "Ease up."

"Oh," Mikey says, relaxing immediately. "Hey Raph."

"Shh. Get up. Come with me."

He sits up and rubs his eyes. "What?"

"I need you to help me with something."

Mikey still looks confused, but he sits up and pushes his blankets away. "Whassamater?" he mumbles.

"Just come on."

That gets him out of bed and following me out of the lair. Once we're in the tunnels he's more alert and starts to notice what I've got packed in my arms. "What's going on, Raph?" he asks again. I don't answer him, because we're almost there anyway. He'll get the idea soon enough.

We turn the last corner and Rick comes into view, right where I left him.

"Raph..."

I ignore Mikey's wary tone and rush to check on Rick, who is still awake by some miracle. "Hey," Rick greets. He's smiling, even.

"Raphael."

I put down my supplies and look up at Mikey. "What is happening right now?" he demands.

"He got shot," I answer.

"I can see that. Why am I here?"

I hand him the bandages. "I needed help."

Mikey just waves the bandages at me to amplify his point. "Why didn't you get _Donny_?"

Well, great. He's freaking out, I'm freaking out, and the one with the bullet wound isn't freaking out. How freaking fantastic. "I could not get Donny, because he would tell Leo," I tell Mikey. "Now shut up and help me."

"Be nice," Rick says. He's finally nodding off.

I take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand. "You're not in the position to be giving orders," I tell him.

Rick's eyes are closed now, but he smiles anyway. "Guess not."

Mikey finally gives in and squats next to me while I try to figure out what to do next. "Uh... How are you feeling?" Mikey asks Rick.

"My belly hurts," Ricky responds like a four-year old who ate too much for dinner.

"That's probably from the hole in your gut," I inform him.

Rick opens his eyes just to glare at me. "Your bedside manner sucks," he says.

I can hear Mikey chuckling as he hands me the bandages. When he catches me giving him a death glare, Mikey shuts up and clears his throat. "Are you dizzy, nauseous, anything? How many fingers am I holding up?" Mikey asks, holding up two fingers.

"Five."

Mikey puts his hand down. "Dude, I only _have _three and I held up two. How did you get five?"

"Mikey," I scold him, slapping his shoulder. I can't figure out if Rick is kidding or if he's downplaying how bad he is. "Forget it. We'll patch him up, and then we're taking him to the hospital."

"Not going, Turtle Guy." Rick shakes his head. Then he passes out.

I can't help but smirk a little. _Yeah, you are._

_

* * *

_**A/N: Why are these chapters so frigging short? Crap. Sorry. I know it's annoying. Just one chapter left.**_  
_


	6. That's a little dramatic

**A/N: Well, this is it. Last chapter. Thanks to those who read, and thanks bunches to those who reviewed. I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except Rick. He's mine. You can't have him.**

**

* * *

**

"And he's out," I announce.

"Tell me we're taking him to the hospital now," Mikey says. "It's not like he'll mind." He nods to Rick's motionless body.

I roll my eyes. "He might mind when he wakes up handcuffed to the bed."

"... Are we aiding a fugitive, Raphael?"

"That's a little dramatic. He just robbed a bank."

For a moment, Mikey doesn't respond. When I look over at him brother, Mikey is sniffing and wiping away fake tears. "I am so proud of you right now," Mikey says.

"Shut up." I shove his shoulder and focus on the task at hand. Between the two of us we don't have much trouble bandaging Rick's bullet wound. At least the bleeding isn't so bad anymore.

When it's time to drag him out of there, I feel a little bad. I feel like I'm ratting him out. Then I shake off that feeling and tell myself that I'm saving Rick's life and turning in a criminal at the same time. Two birds, one stone. Nevertheless, Mikey and I do get him to the hospital. We get him as close to the door as we can without being seen, and then we disappear into the shadows.

* * *

"Well, that was fun," Mikey whispers to me as we sneak back into our room. "This is going to really spice up your diary."

I almost laugh, because, well, it's funny, and then I freeze. "I don't have a diary," I protest, about to throttle my little brother.

"Under your mattress, yeah you do. You know, as a ninja, you would think that your hiding places would be... more ... um... easy, Raph." Mikey crawls into his bed and hides himself under the covers. He must have seen the metaphorical steam coming out of my metaphorical ears.

When I realize that I can't exactly beat him to death without Leo or Splinter hearing, I sit on my bed and sulk. "It's a journal," I snap. "Not a diary."

Mikey just sighs in relief and snuggles into his blankets. "Whatever you say, Raph."

A few seconds of silence later, I come to a realization.

"Michelangelo, you _read_ my journal?" I almost shout.

And without a moment's hesitation, Mikey jumps out of bed and shoots out the door before I can stop him. "LLLLEEEEOOOOOO! RAPH'S GOING TO KILL ME! ... AND HE AIDED A FUGITIVE!"

Well, it's my turn to book it out of there before Leo can catch me. Live today, kill Mikey tomorrow.

* * *

It's a week later before I can leave the lair alone without getting a death glare from Leo and Splinter. Splinter doesn't like to tell me that I'm grounded, because he thinks I'll rebel or something, but I know that's what I was.

Guess where I go on my first day of freedom?

I know Rick's not going to be there. If he's not still in the hospital, he's behind bars somewhere. But still, this is my hiding spot. I'll have to find a new one now that Mikey knows about this place, but I have to go back one last time for the sake of nostalgia.

"Hey, Turtle Guy."

I blink a few times, then shake my head. There's Rick, standing against the wall, flicking a lighter on and off.

"You... why... how..."

Rick holds up his right arm. Attached to it is a broken set of handcuffs. He grins. "You wouldn't happen to know how to pick this, would you?"

_End._

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* * *

_

**A/N: Okay, just so no one pitches a fit, the ending doesn't necessarily mean that Rick is going to be a criminal for the rest of his life. He broke out of the hospital, big deal. I did it that way because it made me laugh. You can decide what happens to Rick after this. If you think up a good ending for Rick, I'd love to hear it. If you want to know what I think might have happened to Rick, just ask. And once again, thanks for reading. :)**


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